


Squeeze My Hand Tight

by rndmkuki



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Break Up, But just mild!, Do we want a happy ending?, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, M/M, No plot? Or is there?, SakuAtsu in Seoul brainrot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:08:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29823342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rndmkuki/pseuds/rndmkuki
Summary: “Why? I don’t usually eat instant noodles anyway, but I heard that ramyeons here are good,” Kiyoomi said.“Noooo. Promise me,” Atsumu insisted.“Okay. I promise. Now, why?”“Uh. Let us just say that it is the same as netflix and chill,” Atsumu said, a blush creeping on his cheeks.“Oh.”Atsumu put the laptop on the side table, variety show forgotten. He faced Kiyoomi’s side, smiled, and said, “Omi, ramyeon meokgeullae?”“UGH. Stop using papago, Atsumu,” Kiyoomi faced the wall and pulled the blankets on top of his head.“Omi, let’s eat ramyeon.” Atsumu koala-hugged burrito Kiyoomi.That night, they ate like there was no tomorrow, but it was definitely not a ramyeon.
Relationships: Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	Squeeze My Hand Tight

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. Has anybody written SakuAtsu in Seoul? So here's my sakuatsu in seoul brainrot. Just random things about Korea in general. Is there a plot?
> 
> Disclaimers:
> 
> I forgot Atsumu's Kansai accent! Sorry.  
> Let’s pretend that collegiate volleyballs can work like what I wrote here.  
> Timelines not canon, or not compliant in reality.  
> Not real, just a fantasy, just a dream.  
> Proper grammar forgotten

September 2017

Kiyoomi was looking out of the window when he noticed that Atsumu was squeezing his hand. He was about to ask why, but when he looked at Atsumu’s side, Atsumu was also looking outside the window, his mind farther away from what you can see while inside a speeding taxi. One look and Kiyoomi knew what Atsumu was thinking, he squeezed his hand back, harder, reassuring.

They were inside an airport taxi going to Seoul. They arrived in Incheon, South Korea an hour ago. Kiyoomi was about to start his 15-week exchange program before he graduated college. He was about to turn this down, but when he told this to Atsumu months prior, Atsumu fully supported him and said that it would be a good opportunity for him.

“It would be uncomfortable to live in another room,” Kiyoomi said.

“They will provide your own room just like this, Omi.”

“How about the language?”

“Your classes will be mostly in English, right? You’re good at it.”

“How about volleyball?”

“You already won the semi-finals. Finals will be in January, you will be back by then. Just ask your coach to design a program so you can workout while you are there.”

From then, Atsumu kept on sending him videos and links on basic korean expressions, things to do in Seoul, and places to visit. Atsumu even binge watched a Korean drama during one of his breaks (he cried a lot for reasons Kiyoomi could not fathom), and he started watching mukbang (eating) videos too.

He wanted to believe that everything would be okay, but Kiyoomi knew, they both knew. They were both nervous for the months to come. They were friends since All Japan Youth Training Camp, they had been dating for two years now, but this would be the first time that they would be in two different countries. It was not just trains away. Not just an away game. But despite that, they never really talked about the distance.

More than the fact that he would be away from the comfort of his own place, from speaking his own language, from playing volleyball, what Kiyoomi was scared the most was to be away from his favorite person, from his safe place, from his home. He squeezed his hand harder.

*  
His room was decent enough based on Kiyoomi’s standards. Aside from the basics like his own bathroom, bed, and study table, the room also had a refrigerator and an electric stove. They were almost done cleaning when Atsumu, with his masks and gloves on, started nagging Kiyoomi that they needed to go to daiso. Kiyoomi kept on saying that it is a Japanese store, but apparently, Atsumu watched videos saying that daiso stores in Korea were big. Kiyoomi just rolled his eyes because he knew Atsumu was pouting inside the mask.

Fortunately, there was a daiso near his school. The store has four floors, and Atsumu practically got very excited, he just went in, so they just strolled around separately. Kiyoomi had no specific stuff to buy in mind, he was just casually looking around when he noticed that they had a KRW5000(~JPY477) fox plushie. He grabbed it and went straight to the cashier where he scanned it on his own because it was a self service type of payment when using a card, and put it inside his backpack. He was thankful that he carried a backpack because he heard that it was better to carry your own shopping bag than paying for one, and he did not need to show Atsumu what he bought.

They were walking towards the bus stop again when Atsumu explained why he bought a big pack of tissue.

“Omi, did you know that they give tissues when you move? Apparently it is to symbolize cleanliness or something like that to the new home. Maybe when your home is clean, you also welcome luck? Not sure! Also, I bought you a dishwashing liquid and liquid detergent because I noticed that your toiletries were complete aside from these. And also, a pack of instant noodles.”

“Oh. Thank you,” Kiyoomi said, no more other words needed because Atsumu knew by now how much he appreciated it.

Atsumu dragged him towards a staircase going down to a Chinese restaurant near the bus stop and the subway station. He heard “oso oseyo”, maybe it was the same as irasshaimase in Japan.

He let Atsumu order for them, he just sat down because Atsumu said he “researched” about this already. When two red bowls were delivered to their table, Kiyoomi saw that Atsumu ordered a half black (?) noodles and spicy noodles for himself, and the same black noodles with chicken on the side for Kiyoomi.

“Atsumu, what is this?” Kiyoomi asked when the waitress left.

“Omi, it is called jjajjangmyeon here, myeon means noodles. It is a black bean noodle. I read that you eat that when you move. Although we’re eating it here in the restaurant,” Atsumu beamed at him while wiping his chopsticks. “Mine is called panpan, apparently it literally meant half half, half jjampong and half jjajjangmyeon.”

Kiyoomi just tried the food. Although it was far from his favorite (sour) taste, it was an opportunity to try different food in Korea.

*

It was Saturday, Atsumu needed to return to Japan tomorrow night because he had training on Monday. Since they were both tired from the flight and the chores, they decided to just rest in Kiyoomi’s room tonight. They would visit Han River for a while tomorrow for a mini-picnic, basically, picnic meant they would just eat kimbap beside the river while watching the sunset because Atsumu said that “you must experience this when you are in Seoul.”

They were both on the bed, Atsumu was supporting the laptop with a pillow, while watching a korean variety show. Kiyoomi admitted that it was funny. They were laughing and crying at the same time already.

“Omi, promise me something,” Atsumu suddenly blurted out in between the laughs. His face was suddenly a little bit serious and playful.

“What?”

“When someone asked you to eat ramyeon with him or her, say no,” Atsumu said while looking at him.

Kiyoomi could not understand it because Kiyoomi could see the shadow of a mischievous smile on Atsumu’s face, but he knew from his voice that he was seriously asking.

“Why? I don’t usually eat instant noodles anyway, but I heard that ramyeons here are good,” Kiyoomi said.

“Noooo. Promise me,” Atsumu insisted.

“Okay. I promise. Now, why?”

“Uh. Let us just say that it is the same as netflix and chill,” Atsumu said, a blush creeping on his cheeks.

“Oh.”

Atsumu put the laptop on the side table, variety show forgotten. He faced Kiyoomi’s side, smiled, and said, “Omi, ramyeon meokgeullae?”

“UGH. Stop using papago, Atsumu,” Kiyoomi faced the wall and pulled the blankets on top of his head.

“Omi, let’s eat ramyeon.” Atsumu koala-hugged burrito Kiyoomi.

That night, they ate like there was no tomorrow, but it was definitely not a ramyeon.

Early October 2017

A month had passed and Kiyoomi realized that it was hard to live and study abroad. Of course, he and Atsumu continuously communicate with each other, timezone was not a problem. His workout program was not a problem too since they have a pretty huge gym in the basement of his building, and he could run around in the morning since they were surrounded by nature, he was practically living in a mountain because the campus is near a mountain. Kiyoomi’s main problems were (1) he had no friends, literally no one, since socialization was not really his forte; (2) the class workload was overwhelming him; and (3) he was h*rny af for his boyfriend and he did not know how to compensate for it, he never knew until then that he would crave for someone’s touch -- one of the things he avoided almost his whole life before Atsumu.

“Atsumu, I am h*rny, need you, and it’s stressing me out,” he texted and threw away his phone on the bed.

Mid-October 2017

“Need me, Omi?” Atsumu asked while they were on the bed, fucking.

“Yes, please.”

Atsumu visited for one weekend in mid-October. Even though Atsumu wanted to visit more often, time and money would not just allow it. Atsumu had been having harder training since the season would start soon. And honestly, Kiyoomi did not want to oblige Atsumu to visit. He was building his own career, and Kiyoomi did not want to be a burden.

On the same weekend, they visited Namsan Tower and put a love lock there. Kiyoomi insisted that they had a lot of those too in Japan, Atsumu said that they would put their locks everywhere so no one could break them apart. Kiyoomi just rolled his eyes because what the fuck was that.

They also visited Gyeongbukgung Palace where they wore Korea’s traditional clothes called hanbok. He chose to be a scholar, and Atsumu chose to be a prince. As much as Kiyoomi declined to hire one, Kiyoomi should never forget that Atsumu was vain, so they hired an official photographer for two hours to take photos of them. Fall in Seoul was really pretty, and it was the best time to get those artsy photos. When the photos came out, Kiyoomi was glad Atsumu was vain enough to hire a photographer.

Mid-November 2017

The next visit of Atsumu was on November 11, and they were in a convenience store in the basement of his dorm to buy some snacks and breakfast for tomorrow. He asked Atsumu to go up to his room first because he needed to collect his laundry in the laundry room. Atsumu complied.

Kiyoomi did not know what happened to him, but he returned to the convenience store. Atsumu kept on looking at the gift baskets wrapped and tied with a cellophane and a ribbon, and Kiyoomi would be uncomfortable if Kiyoomi would not give it to Atsumu. Atsumu literally flew from Japan just to spend two days with him, he could definitely give whatever candies he wanted, right?

When he returned, Atsumu was looking at his phone on the bed. Kiyoomi put the laundry aside, and gave Atsumu the wrapped candies.

Atsumu looked up at him with puppy eyes and said, “Omiii, you knew! Thank you!” He stood up and hugged Kiyoomi.

“I don’t know what’s happening, Atsumu,” Kiyoomi said while returning the hug.

Atsumu broke the hug and said, “What? Omi, you don’t know pepero day?”

“Enlighten me.”

“Uh. Basically today is November 11, right? 11.11, and these peperos are like chocolate-dipped cookie sticks. Since it looked like number 1s, they called November 11 pepero day. For Koreans, maybe it is like Valentine's day? They give pepero to their lovers, friends, or even families,” Atsumu explained.

Of course Atsumu knew these things more than him. Kiyoomi was just glad that he bought it for him.

Their two-day rest was cut short because the MSBY manager called Atsumu at night asking him to attend a photoshoot because there was an emergency and it was suddenly rescheduled. Atsumu could not decline the manager because apparently, no one knew, even Coach Foster, that Atsumu flew to Korea aside from Osamu.

Kiyoomi had never felt so guilty.

Late November 2017

Everything was overwhelming Kiyoomi. He could not breath. Everything was wrong. His anxiety was at peak. His three problems were never solved. Problem #1 was his fault because he did not know how to make friends, and he would go back to his country anyway. Problem #2 was multiplied because he was preparing for his mid-terms and writing his papers at the same time. He was going crazy about it already. And Problem #3 could not be solved without Atsumu, but the guilt of their last meeting never subsided so Kiyoomi was distant to Atsumu to give him space to focus on his career (at least this was the reason he wanted to believe and what he gave to Atsumu).

No matter how many reassurances Atsumu gave him, Kiyoomi could not just make the guilt disappear. He watched Atsumu’s games, and Kiyoomi knew how tired he was already because Atsumu was the kind of setter to bend and stretch, whatever it took to give his all to his spikers. But still, Atsumu never failed to reach out to him, and it was making him more guilty than he already was.

The last straw for Kiyoomi to lose his rational mind was when he received an email that he needed to provide a short korean abstract for his paper. How could he write in Korean? If he translated it using the internet, would that be enough? But online translations were not 100% accurate, right? He was already losing it, and he was not probably thinking because he broke himself more by sending a break up message to Atsumu.

“It is better to focus on our careers first, Atsumu. Don’t reach out to me anymore. Thank you for everything.”

He disconnected from everything related to Atsumu then.

December 2017

Kiyoomi was on the last stretch of his exchange program. His workload was subsiding already. Although he should be glad about it, a part of him was just empty. He could not remember most of his days since that day. He just flowed in the motion, doing whatever needs to be done. 

He was just sure of one thing, he missed volleyball -- the touch of the ball on his hands, the sting when he spikes hard, the sound of the ball on the court. His volleyball coach checked on him to ensure that he was following the program. Of course Kiyoomi did, sometimes even double to tire himself out so he could sleep.

It was December 20, and when he looked outside his window, he could notice flurries. He remembered that the weather forecast included snow for that day. When the snow continuously fell, he could remember Atsumu’s voice months ago, “you know what, Omi, I hope I will be here during the first snow. They said that in Korea, if you are with your partner during the first snow, it means that you will always be together.”

Would it be so selfish if I would ask him back? But what would he say, now that everything worked out fine for my academics, I would go back running to him? How selfish could that be?

That night, Kiyoomi cried himself to sleep while hugging the fox plushie he bought when he arrived here.

**Author's Note:**

> "Oso oseyo" - 어서 오세요, please come in  
> "Ramyeon meokgeullae" - 라면 먹을래, let's eat ramyeon
> 
> Feel free to comment if I made a mistake about certain facts :) Do we want a happy ending?


End file.
